Generating two-dimensional views with gridline information

ABSTRACT

An example computing system is configured to extract gridline information from a two-dimensional drawing file and determine, for the gridline information, first coordinate information that is based on a first datum. The computing system converts the first coordinate information into second coordinate information that is based on a second datum, where the second coordinate information is used by a three-dimensional drawing file. The computing system is also configured to receive a request to generate a two-dimensional view of the three-dimensional drawing file, where the two-dimensional view includes an intersection of two meshes within the three-dimensional drawing file. The computing device generates the two-dimensional view of the three-dimensional drawing file and adds, to the generated two-dimensional view, (i) at least one gridline corresponding to the gridline information and (ii) dimensioning information involving the at least one gridline and at least one of the two meshes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of, and claims the benefit ofpriority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. application Ser. No. 16/594,398,filed on Oct. 7, 2019 and titled “Generating Two-Dimensional Views withGridline Information,” which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

Construction projects are often complex endeavors involving thecoordination of many professionals across several discrete phases.Typically, a construction project commences with a design phase, wherearchitects design the overall shape and layout of a constructionproject, such as a building. Next, engineers engage in a planning phasewhere they take the architects' designs and produce engineering drawingsand plans for the construction of the project. At this stage, engineersmay also design various portions of the project's infrastructure, suchas HVAC, plumbing, electrical, etc., and produce plans reflecting thesedesigns as well. After, or perhaps in conjunction with, the planningphase, contractors may engage in a logistics phase to review these plansand begin to allocate various resources to the project, includingdetermining what materials to purchase, scheduling delivery, anddeveloping a plan for carrying out the actual construction of theproject. Finally, during the construction phase, constructionprofessionals begin to construct the project based on the finalizedplans.

OVERVIEW

As a general matter, one phase of a construction project involves thecreation, review, and sometimes revision, of plans of the constructionproject. In most cases, these plans comprise visual representations ofthe construction project that visually communicate information about theconstruction project, such as how to assemble or construct the project.Such visual representations tend to take one of at least two differentforms. One form may be a two-dimensional technical drawing, such as anarchitectural drawing or a construction blueprint, in whichtwo-dimensional line segments of the drawing represent certain physicalelements of the construction project like walls and ducts. In thisrespect, a two-dimensional technical drawing could be embodied either inpaper form or in a computerized form, such as an image file (e.g., aPDF, JPEG, etc.).

Two-dimensional technical drawings have advantages. For instance, theyare often set out in a universally recognized format that most, if notall, construction professionals can read and understand. Further, theyare designed to be relatively compact, with one drawing being arrangedto fit on a single piece of paper or in a computerized file format thatrequires minimal processing power and computer storage to view (e.g., aPDF viewer, JPEG viewer, etc.). Yet, two-dimensional drawings havedisadvantages as well. For instance, it often takes multiple drawings inorder to visually communicate an overview of an entire constructionproject. This is because two-dimensional drawings tend not toefficiently present information about the construction project from athird (e.g., vertical) dimension. For example, a construction projectmay have at least one two-dimensional technical drawing per floor of theconstruction project. Thus, for a construction project spanning, say,ten floors, the construction project will have at least tentwo-dimensional technical drawings, and likely more to fully visuallycommunicate the various aspects of the construction project.

To advance over two-dimensional technical drawings, computerized,three-dimensional technology was developed as another form in whichinformation about a construction project can be visually communicated.In this respect, a three-dimensional model of the construction projectwould be embodied in a computerized form, such as in a buildinginformation model (BIM) file, with three-dimensional meshes visuallyrepresenting the physical elements of the construction project (e.g.,walls, ducts, etc.). Specialized software is configured to access theBIM file and render a three-dimensional view of the construction projectfrom one or more perspectives. This provides some advantages overtwo-dimensional technical drawings, namely that a constructionprofessional could often get a more complete overview of theconstruction project based on a single three-dimensional view and thusmay not have to shuffle through multiple two-dimensional drawings inorder to conceptualize what the construction project looks like. Inaddition, the specialized software allows a construction professional tonavigate throughout the three-dimensional view of the BIM file and focuson elements of interest in the construction project, such as aparticular wall or duct.

However, existing technology for presenting visual representations ofconstruction projects has several limitations. For example, one suchlimitation is that existing software tools for renderingthree-dimensional views of construction projects do not provide all theinformation about a construction project that may be available oncertain two-dimensional technical drawings. For instance, dimensioninginformation for certain physical elements of a construction project maynot be presented on a three-dimensional view of a construction projectas doing so may clutter or obscure the three-dimensional presentation.Such information is more aptly displayed on an appropriatetwo-dimensional drawing.

In many cases, gridlines for a construction project are established byan architect or engineer during the design process. The gridlines may beestablished at regular intervals (e.g., every 20 feet) and are usuallybased on a datum, or set of coordinates, referred to as “universalcoordinates.” Universal coordinates are generally independent of theconstruction project and derive from one or more universal locationsources such as a particular latitude/longitude, or one or more GISbenchmarks, etc. The gridlines and are then calculated using offsetsfrom a universal origin point that is based on the universalcoordinates. Accordingly, some construction files may reflect thelocation of elements within the construct project (e.g., walls, ducts,etc.) with dimensional references to the gridlines by overlaying thegridlines on various two-dimensional views of the construction project.

However, the software tools that use BIM files to generatethree-dimensional views of the construction project typically will notreflect the location of these gridlines, nor do the BIM filesthemselves. This is because BIM files are often based on aconstruction-project specific datum, sometimes referred to as “virtualcoordinates,” rather than the universal coordinates discussed above.Virtual coordinates typically set a point within the constructionproject as the origin (e.g., a building corner, or a property boundaryof the construction project, etc.) and then the location of the variousconstruction elements within the BIM file are determined based on thisorigin point.

Yet another limitation with existing technology for presenting visualrepresentations of construction projects is that, in some situations,neither a two-dimensional technical drawing nor a three-dimensional viewreadily provides the particular information about the constructionproject that is needed. For instance, consider a scenario whereconstruction plans call for a plumbing layout that includes a pipepassing through a wall. A construction professional that is installingthe wall—before the pipe is present—might wish to locate theintersection between the wall and the eventual pipe so as to create apenetration through the wall in the correct location. The horizontaland/or vertical dimensioning information for doing so might not beincluded on any two-dimensional technical drawings or in anytwo-dimensional views of a BIM file.

In scenarios like these, the construction professional would typicallyderive this information based on his or her own calculations, accountingfor, among other things, the dimensions of the pipe, the designed pitchof the pipe, if any, and the distance of the pipe/wall intersection fromanother point where the vertical elevation of the pipe is known. Suchmanual calculations can be time-consuming, can create the possibilityfor errors, both of which are issues that are multiplied with eachcalculation that must be performed.

To address these problems and others, disclosed herein is a softwareapplication that enables a computing device to plot the location ofgridlines within two-dimensional views that are generated based on athree-dimensional BIM file, and then provide dynamic dimensioninginformation that is based on the gridlines. In this respect, thedisclosed software technology provides a flexible solution that canreadily provide needed information about a construction project.

At a high level, the disclosed software application enables aconstruction professional to generate a two-dimensional view of athree-dimensional drawing file, such as a BIM file, that includesgridline information from a related two-dimensional drawing file anddimensioning information based thereon. This may facilitate theefficient location of physical elements within a constructionprojection.

The processes discussed herein may involve extracting gridlineinformation from a two-dimensional drawing file and inserting thegridline information into a two-dimensional view that is generated froma three-dimensional BIM file. For instance, the software application maytranslate the gridline information from a first coordinate system usedin the two-dimensional drawing file to a second coordinate system usedby the three-dimensional BIM file. The software application may also adddimensioning information to the generated two-dimensional view of theBIM file that can use the gridlines as a reference point. Further, thesoftware application may dynamically update the dimensioning informationin the two-dimensional view in response to a user adjusting the view by,for example, zooming in or out. Each of these processes, which may takevarious forms and may be carried out in various manners, are describedin further detail below.

Accordingly, in one aspect, disclosed herein is a method that involves(1) extracting gridline information from a two-dimensional drawing file;(2) determining, for the gridline information, first coordinateinformation that is based on a first datum; (3) converting the firstcoordinate information into second coordinate information that is basedon a second datum, wherein the second coordinate information is used bya three-dimensional drawing file; (4) receiving a request to generate atwo-dimensional view of the three-dimensional drawing file, wherein thetwo-dimensional view includes an intersection of two meshes within thethree-dimensional drawing file; (5) generating the two-dimensional viewof the three-dimensional drawing file; and (6) adding, to the generatedtwo-dimensional view, (i) at least one gridline corresponding to thegridline information and (ii) dimensioning information involving the atleast one gridline and at least one of the two meshes

In another aspect, disclosed herein is a computing system that includesa network interface, at least one processor, a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium, and program instructions stored on thenon-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the atleast one processor to cause the computing system to carry out thefunctions disclosed herein, including but not limited to the functionsof the foregoing method.

In yet another aspect, disclosed herein is a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium provisioned with software that isexecutable to cause a computing system to carry out the functionsdisclosed herein, including but not limited to the functions of theforegoing method.

One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate these as well asnumerous other aspects in reading the following disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Please note that this patent or application file contains at least onedrawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent applicationpublication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office uponrequest and payment of the necessary fee.

FIG. 1 depicts an example network configuration in which exampleembodiments may be implemented.

FIG. 2 depicts an example computing platform that may be configured tocarry out one or more of the functions of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts an example two-dimensional drawing file.

FIG. 4 depicts an example three-dimensional drawing file.

FIG. 5 depicts an example flow chart that may be carried out tofacilitate generating two-dimensional views with gridline information.

FIG. 6A depicts an example two-dimensional view of a three-dimensionaldrawing file, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6B depicts another example two-dimensional view of thethree-dimensional drawing file shown in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A depicts another example two-dimensional view of athree-dimensional drawing file, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 7B depicts another example two-dimensional view of thethree-dimensional drawing file shown in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 depicts an example flow chart that may be carried out tofacilitate dynamically displaying dimensioning information.

FIG. 9A depicts an example two-dimensional view of a three-dimensionaldrawing file, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9B depicts an example two-dimensional, zoomed-in view of thethree-dimensional drawing file shown in FIG. 9A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure makes reference to the accompanying figures andseveral example embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art shouldunderstand that such references are for the purpose of explanation onlyand are therefore not meant to be limiting. Part or all of the disclosedsystems, devices, and methods may be rearranged, combined, added to,and/or removed in a variety of manners, each of which is contemplatedherein.

I. Example System Configuration

As described above, the present disclosure is generally directed to animproved software application that enables a computing system to plotthe location of gridlines within two-dimensional views that aregenerated based on a three-dimensional BIM file, and then providedynamic dimensioning information that is based on the gridlines. Thismay facilitate the layout and construction of a given project in a moreaccurate and convenient manner.

As one possible implementation, this software technology may includeboth front-end software running on client stations that are accessibleto individuals associated with construction projects (e.g., contractors,project managers, architects, engineers, designers, etc.) and back-endsoftware running on a back-end platform (sometimes referred to as a“cloud” platform) that interacts with and/or drives the front-endsoftware, and which may be operated (either directly or indirectly) bythe provider of the front-end client software. As another possibleimplementation, this software technology may include front-end clientsoftware that runs on client stations without interaction with aback-end platform. The software technology disclosed herein may takeother forms as well.

In general, such front-end client software may enable one or moreindividuals responsible for a construction project to perform varioustasks related to the management and construction of the project, whichmay take various forms. According to some implementations, these tasksmay include: rendering three-dimensional views of the constructionproject, navigating through the various three-dimensional views of theconstruction project in order to observe the construction project fromvarious perspectives, and using the software to generate two-dimensionaldrawings, which may be based on two-dimensional views of athree-dimensional drawing file, as some non-limiting examples. Further,such front-end client software may take various forms, examples of whichmay include a native application (e.g., a mobile application) and/or aweb application running on a client station, among other possibilities.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 depicts an example networkconfiguration 100 in which example embodiments of the present disclosuremay be implemented. As shown in FIG. 1, network configuration 100includes a back-end platform 102 that may be communicatively coupled toone or more client stations, depicted here, for the sake of discussion,as three client stations 112.

In general, back-end platform 102 may comprise one or more computingsystems that have been provisioned with software for carrying out one ormore of the platform functions disclosed herein, including but notlimited to functions related to the disclosed process of plotting thelocation of gridlines within two-dimensional views that are generatedbased on a three-dimensional BIM file, and then providing dynamicdimensioning information based thereon. The one or more computingsystems of back-end platform 102 may take various forms and be arrangedin various manners.

For instance, as one possibility, back-end platform 102 may comprisecomputing infrastructure of a public, private, and/or hybrid cloud(e.g., computing and/or storage clusters) that has been provisioned withsoftware for carrying out one or more of the platform functionsdisclosed herein. In this respect, the entity that owns and operatesback-end platform 102 may either supply its own cloud infrastructure ormay obtain the cloud infrastructure from a third-party provider of “ondemand” computing resources, such include Amazon Web Services (AWS) orthe like. As another possibility, back-end platform 102 may comprise oneor more dedicated servers that have been provisioned with software forcarrying out one or more of the platform functions disclosed herein.Other implementations of back-end platform 102 are possible as well.

In turn, client stations 112 may each be any computing device that iscapable of running the front-end software disclosed herein. In thisrespect, client stations 112 may each include hardware components suchas a processor, data storage, a user interface, and a network interface,among others, as well as software components that facilitate the clientstation's ability to run the front-end software disclosed herein (e.g.,operating system software, web browser software, etc.). Asrepresentative examples, client stations 112 may each take the form of adesktop computer, a laptop, a netbook, a tablet, a smartphone, and/or apersonal digital assistant (PDA), among other possibilities.

As further depicted in FIG. 1, back-end platform 102 is configured tointeract with one or more client stations 112 over respectivecommunication paths 110. Each communication path 110 between back-endplatform 102 and one of client stations 112 may generally comprise oneor more communication networks and/or communications links, which maytake any of various forms. For instance, each respective communicationpath 110 with back-end platform 102 may include any one or more ofpoint-to-point links, Personal Area Networks (PANs), Local-Area Networks(LANs), Wide-Area Networks (WANs) such as the Internet or cellularnetworks, cloud networks, and/or operational technology (OT) networks,among other possibilities. Further, the communication networks and/orlinks that make up each respective communication path 110 with back-endplatform 102 may be wireless, wired, or some combination thereof, andmay carry data according to any of various different communicationprotocols. Although not shown, the respective communication paths 110with back-end platform 102 may also include one or more intermediatesystems. For example, it is possible that back-end platform 102 maycommunicate with a given client station 112 via one or more intermediarysystems, such as a host server (not shown). Many other configurationsare also possible.

The interaction between client stations 112 and back-end platform 102may take various forms. As one possibility, client stations 112 may sendcertain user input related to a construction project to back-endplatform 102, which may in turn trigger back-end platform 102 to takeone or more actions based on the user input. As another possibility,client stations 112 may send a request to back-end platform 102 forcertain project-related data and/or a certain front-end software module,and client stations 112 may then receive project-related data (andperhaps related instructions) from back-end platform 102 in response tosuch a request. As yet another possibility, back-end platform 102 may beconfigured to “push” certain types of project-related data to clientstations 112, such as rendered two-dimensional or three-dimensionalviews, in which case client stations 112 may receive project-relateddata (and perhaps related instructions) from back-end platform 102 inthis manner. As still another possibility, back-end platform 102 may beconfigured to make certain types of project-related data available viaan API, a service, or the like, in which case client stations 112 mayreceive project-related data from back-end platform 102 by accessingsuch an API or subscribing to such a service. The interaction betweenclient stations 112 and back-end platform 102 may take various otherforms as well.

In practice, client stations 112 may each be operated by and/orotherwise associated with a different individual that is associated witha construction project. For example, an individual tasked with theresponsibility for creating project-related data, such as data filesdefining three-dimensional models of a construction project, may accessone of the client stations 112, whereas an individual tasked with theresponsibility for reviewing and revising data files definingthree-dimensional models of a construction project may access anotherclient station 112, whereas an individual tasked with the responsibilityfor physically constructing the elements shown in the drawings, such asan on-site construction professional, may access yet another clientstation 112. Client stations 112 may be operated by and/or otherwiseassociated with individuals having various other roles with respect to aconstruction project as well. Further, while FIG. 1 shows an arrangementin which three particular client stations are communicatively coupled toback-end platform 102, it should be understood that a given arrangementmay include more or fewer client stations.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, back-end platform 102 may also beconfigured to receive project-related data from one or more externaldata sources, such as an external database and/or another back-endplatform or platforms. Such data sources—and the project-related dataoutput by such data sources—may take various forms.

It should be understood that network configuration 100 is one example ofa network configuration in which embodiments described herein may beimplemented. Numerous other arrangements are possible and contemplatedherein. For instance, other network configurations may includeadditional components not pictured and/or more or less of the picturedcomponents.

II. Example Computing Device

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating some structuralcomponents that may be included in an example computing device 200,which could serve as, for instance, the back-end platform 102 and/or oneor more of client stations 112 in FIG. 1. In line with the discussionabove, computing device 200 may generally include at least a processor202, data storage 204, and a communication interface 206, all of whichmay be communicatively linked by a communication link 208 that may takethe form of a system bus or some other connection mechanism.

Processor 202 may comprise one or more processor components, such asgeneral-purpose processors (e.g., a single- or multi-coremicroprocessor), special-purpose processors (e.g., anapplication-specific integrated circuit or digital-signal processor),programmable logic devices (e.g., a field programmable gate array),controllers (e.g., microcontrollers), and/or any other processorcomponents now known or later developed. In line with the discussionabove, it should also be understood that processor 202 could compriseprocessing components that are distributed across a plurality ofphysical computing devices connected via a network, such as a computingcluster of a public, private, or hybrid cloud.

In turn, data storage 204 may comprise one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable storage mediums, examples of which may includevolatile storage mediums such as random-access memory, registers, cache,etc. and non-volatile storage mediums such as read-only memory, ahard-disk drive, a solid-state drive, flash memory, an optical-storagedevice, etc. In line with the discussion above, it should also beunderstood that data storage 204 may comprise computer-readable storagemediums that are distributed across a plurality of physical computingdevices connected via a network, such as a storage cluster of a public,private, or hybrid cloud.

As shown in FIG. 2, data storage 204 may be provisioned with softwarecomponents that enable the platform 200 to carry out the platform-sidefunctions disclosed herein. These software components may generally takethe form of program instructions that are executable by the processor202 to carry out the disclosed functions, which may be arranged togetherinto software applications, virtual machines, software development kits,toolsets, or the like, all of which are referred to herein as a softwaretool or software tools. Further, data storage 204 may be arranged tostore project-related data in one or more databases, file systems, orthe like. Data storage 204 may take other forms and/or store data inother manners as well.

Communication interface 206 may be configured to facilitate wirelessand/or wired communication with other computing devices or systems, suchas one or more client stations 112 when computing device 200 serves asback-end platform 102, or back-end platform 102 when computing device200 serves as one of client stations 112. Additionally, in animplementation where the computing device 200 comprises a plurality ofphysical computing devices connected via a network, communicationinterface 206 may be configured to facilitate wireless and/or wiredcommunication between these physical computing devices (e.g., betweencomputing and storage clusters in a cloud network). As such,communication interface 206 may take any suitable form for carrying outthese functions, examples of which may include an Ethernet interface, aserial bus interface (e.g., Firewire, USB 3.0, etc.), a chipset andantenna adapted to facilitate wireless communication, and/or any otherinterface that provides for wireless and/or wired communication.Communication interface 206 may also include multiple communicationinterfaces of different types. Other configurations are possible aswell.

Although not shown, computing device 200 may additionally include one ormore interfaces that provide connectivity with external user-interfaceequipment (sometimes referred to as “peripherals”), such as a keyboard,a mouse or trackpad, a display screen, a touch-sensitive interface, astylus, a virtual-reality headset, speakers, etc., which may allow fordirect user interaction with computing device 200.

It should be understood that computing device 200 is one example of acomputing device that may be used with the embodiments described herein.Numerous other arrangements are possible and contemplated herein. Forinstance, other computing devices may include additional components notpictured and/or more or fewer of the pictured components.

III. Example Two- and Three-Dimensional Drawings

As mentioned above, one aspect of managing a construction projectinvolves the creation, review, and sometimes revision, of plans for theconstruction project. The plans assist construction professionals incarrying out the construction project. For example, some plans includewritten statements, such a punch list or submittal log, which maycommunicate, for instance, what materials are needed duringconstruction. Other plans may include visual representations of theconstruction project that visually communicate to the constructionprofessionals how to assemble or construct the project.

Depending on the type of construction project, these visualrepresentations tend to take one of two different forms. As onepossibility, these visual representations may take the form of a set oftwo-dimensional technical drawings, such as architectural drawings,engineering plans, or construction blueprints, etc. From thesetwo-dimensional technical drawings, the construction professionals candetermine how to construct the project. As another possibility, thesevisual representations may take the form of a computerized,three-dimensional visual representation of the construction project.Construction professionals can use a corresponding software tool toreview the three-dimensional visual representation, often in conjunctionwith a review of two-dimensional technical drawings, as an aid duringthe construction process. Set forth below is a short overview of each ofthese types of visual representations of construction projects.

A. Two-Dimensional Technical Drawings

As mentioned, one way to visually represent information about aconstruction project is through two-dimensional technical drawings.Generally, a two-dimensional technical drawing serves to visuallycommunicate a limited amount of information about the constructionproject in order to aid in the construction, or the further design, ofthe project. To illustrate, FIG. 3 depicts one example of atwo-dimensional technical drawing 300 in the form of an architecturalfloor plan of a building, which may visually communicate how theconstruction project is laid out. An architectural drawing, such asarchitectural drawing 300, may comprise a scaled drawing depictingcertain structural elements of the construction project (e.g., floors,walls, ceilings, doorways, and support elements), with perhaps visualindications of additional relevant aspects of these structural elements,such as measurements, dimensions, materials, etc.

FIG. 3 also shows a set of gridlines 301 overlaid on the two-dimensionaltechnical drawing 300. As noted above, the gridlines 301 shown in thedrawing 300 may be based on gridline information that is established bythe architect or engineer with reference to a universal location sourcethat is not specific to the construction project. For example, theuniversal location source may include a set of benchmarks and/or othergeographic control data that is maintained at a city or county-widelevel, and which can be used for any number of construction projectswithin that locale. In this way, even unrelated construction projectswithin the area may utilize a consistent datum. Further, such city orcounty-wide location sources may be based on one or more national orglobal location sources, such as a nationwide horizontal datum (e.g.,NAD83), a nationwide vertical datum (e.g., NAVD88), one or more latitudeor longitude coordinates, or GPS coordinates, among other examples.

As shown in FIG. 3, the gridlines 301 may form a uniform,two-dimensional grid over the construction project, with the individualgridlines repeating every 20 feet, for instance. Accordingly, sometwo-dimensional drawing files may reflect the location of elementswithin the construct project (e.g., walls, ducts, etc.) with dimensionalreferences to the nearest gridline(s). Gridlines 301 can provide auseful reference for construction professionals in the field when layingout and constructing elements shown in a two-dimensional drawings, suchas the drawing 300.

Another example of a two-dimensional technical drawing is a drawing thatvisually communicates how the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning(HVAC) ductwork is routed throughout the building. Like thearchitectural drawing shown in FIG. 3, this schematic may visuallycommunicate the HVAC ductwork routing through the use of a scaleddepiction of the ductwork along with indications of other relevantaspects of the ductwork, such as measurements, dimensions, materials,etc. Other two-dimensional drawings, often but not necessarilycorresponding to separate design aspects of the construction project arealso possible, such as plumbing drawings, electrical drawings, fireprotection drawings, and so on. In each case, the drawings may displaythe gridlines 301, which can be used to provide a common reference fromwhich a construction professional may lay out and construct thedifferent elements of the construction project.

Because technical drawings such as these are limited to two dimensions,multiple technical drawings may be used when there is a need to visuallycommunicate aspects from a third (e.g., vertical) dimension. Forinstance, a building in a construction project may comprise multiplefloors and the design of the project may call for changes in the shapeor structure of the building from floor to floor, in addition to changesin the routing, location, and sizing of utilities from floor to floor.Thus, there may be multiple technical drawings for each floor of abuilding in the construction project.

Similarly, the engineering design of the exterior site may includetechnical drawings corresponding to underground utilities, stormwatermanagement and erosion control, site grading, roadway and paving design,landscaping plans, and other aspects which may be impractical toincluding in a single technical drawing. For these reasons, a singleconstruction project may involve the use of tens, hundreds, or perhapsthousands of technical drawings. As noted above, the gridlines 301 maybe reflected on some or all of these two-dimensional drawings.

Generally, two-dimensional technical drawings, like the examplesdescribed above, are created at the outset of a construction project byarchitects, designers, engineers, or some combination thereof.Traditionally, these professionals would design such two-dimensionaltechnical drawings by hand. But today, professionals typically designtwo-dimensional technical drawings with the aid of computer-assisteddesign (CAD) software, such as existing CAD software known and used byprofessionals in the industry.

Two-dimensional technical drawings have advantages. For instance, asingle two-dimensional technical drawing can visually communicate vastamounts of useful information. In some cases, construction professionalscan get an overview of an entire area of a construction project byreferring to a single technical drawing. Moreover, once completed andput into final form, technical drawings require a relatively smallamount of computer storage and processing power to store and view.Construction professionals can often review finished technical drawingswith off-the-shelf software document viewers, such as portable documentformat (PDF) software viewers.

Yet two dimensional technical drawings also have disadvantages. Becausethese technical drawings are typically created at the outset of theconstruction project—that is, well before physical construction hasactually begun—these drawings generally will not reflect changes to theproject that happen during, say, the construction phase. When a changeto the construction project happens after the technical drawings arecompleted, architects, designers, or engineers may be called upon torevise the existing technical drawings or create new drawings altogetherto reflect the change.

Additionally, technical drawings that are generated at the outset of theconstruction project may not always visually communicate the specificinformation desired by the construction professional who later accessesthe technical drawings. For instance, during construction, aconstruction professional may determine that it would be useful to havea technical drawing that shows the location, on an interior wall thathas just been installed, where a plumbing pipe designed to pass throughthe wall (but net yet installed) will eventually intersect that wall.However, a technical drawing showing these particular dimensions may notexist. Thus, the construction professional may have to wait for, or gowithout, his or her desired technical drawing. One solution to thisissue would be to call upon an engineer, designer, or architect togenerate the technical drawings with the requested information. But thisis often a costly and time-consuming process, which may not be feasibledepending on the project's budget as well as the stage of construction.

B. Three-Dimensional Visual Representations

Another way to visually represent information about a constructionproject is through a computerized, three-dimensional model of theconstruction project. In order to facilitate the creation and use of acomputerized, three-dimensional model of the construction project, ateam of architects, designers, and/or engineers engages in a processreferred to as Building Information Modeling.

As a general matter, Building Information Modeling refers to the processof designing and maintaining a computerized representation of physicaland functional characteristics of a construction project, such as abuilding. Specialized software tools can then access this computerizedrepresentation and process it to visually communicate how to constructthe building via a navigable, three-dimensional model of the buildingand its infrastructure.

More specifically, but still by way of example, when architects,designers, and/or engineers engage in Building Information Modeling fora specific construction project, they generally produce what is referredto as a Building Information Model (BIM) file. In essence, a BIM file isa computerized description of the individual physical elements thatcomprise the construction project, such as the physical structure of thebuilding, including walls, floors, and ceilings, as well as thebuilding's infrastructure, including pipes, ducts, conduits, etc. Thiscomputerized description can include a vast amount of data describingthe individual physical elements of the construction project and therelationships between these individual physical elements, including forinstance, the relative size and shape of each element, and an indicationof where each element will reside in relation to the other elements inthe construction project.

BIM files can exist in one or more proprietary or open-sourcecomputer-file formats and are accessible by a range of specializedsoftware tools. One type of specialized software tool that can accessBIM files is referred to as a “BIM viewer.” A BIM viewer is softwarethat accesses the information contained within a BIM file or acombination of BIM files for a particular construction project and then,based on the file(s), is configured to cause a computing device torender a three-dimensional view of the computerized representation ofthe construction project. This view is referred to herein as a“three-dimensional BIM view” or simply a “three-dimensional view.”

In order for BIM viewer software to be able to cause a computing deviceto render a three-dimensional view of the construction project, BIMfiles typically contain data that describes the attributes of eachindividual physical element (e.g., the walls, floors, ceilings, pipes,ducts, etc.) of the construction project. For instance, for an air ductdesigned to run across the first-floor ceiling of a building, a BIM filefor the building may contain data describing how wide, how long, howhigh, and where, in relation to the other individual physical elementsof the construction project, the duct is positioned.

There are many ways for BIM files to arrange and store data thatdescribes the attributes of the individual physical elements of aconstruction project. In one specific example, BIM files may containdata that represents each individual physical component in theconstruction project, such as a pipe, as a mesh of geometric triangles(e.g., a triangular irregular network, or TIN) such that when thegeometric triangles are visually stitched together by BIM viewersoftware, the triangles form a mesh or surface, which represents ascaled model of the physical component. In this respect, the BIM filemay contain data that represents each triangle of a given mesh as set ofcoordinates in three-dimensional space (“three-space”). For instance,for each triangle stored in the BIM file, the BIM file may contain datadescribing the coordinates of each vertex of the triangle (e.g., anx-coordinate, a y-coordinate, and a z-coordinate for the first vertex ofthe triangle; an x-coordinate, a y-coordinate, and a z-coordinate forthe second vertex of the triangle; and an x-coordinate, a y-coordinate,and a z-coordinate for the third vertex of the triangle). A given meshmay be comprised of thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds ofthousands of individual triangles, where each triangle may have arespective set of three vertices and corresponding sets of three-spacecoordinates for those vertices. However, other ways for a BIM file tocontain data that represents each individual physical component in aconstruction project are possible as well.

To illustrate one example of a three-dimensional view, FIG. 4 depicts anexample snapshot 400 of a GUI that includes a three-dimensional view ofa construction project rendered from a particular perspective. Snapshot400 may be generated by, for instance, a software tool running on aclient station, such as one of client stations 112 in FIG. 1, accessinga BIM file and then rendering a three-dimensional view of theconstruction project based on that BIM file and presenting it via adisplay interface of the client station 112. Alternatively, a back-endplatform, such as back-end platform 102 in FIG. 1, may access a BIM fileand may generate a set of instructions for rendering a three-dimensionalview of the construction project based on the BIM file. Back-endplatform 102 may then send the instructions to one of client stations112, which in turn may present a three-dimensional view of theconstruction project via a display interface of that client stationbased on the instructions. Still other arrangements are possible.

As depicted, snapshot 400 includes a three-dimensional view of aconstruction project from a particular perspective. Thethree-dimensional view depicted in FIG. 4 includes a number of meshesthat represent individual physical components of the constructionproject, such as walls, pipes, floors, beams, etc. In particular,depicted in FIG. 4 is, among other things, a mesh 402, which representsa first pipe, a mesh 404, which represents a second pipe, and a mesh406, which represents a wall. Of course, in other examples, other viewsand meshes are possible.

The client station presenting snapshot 400 may be configured to adjustthe perspective from which the three-dimensional view is presented inresponse to, for instance, receiving user inputs at the client station.The client station may do this in various ways. As one possibility, theGUI may include a control 403 that may be used to reposition theperspective either forward or backward (along an x-axis) or side to side(along a y-axis) of the model. Similarly, the client station mayreposition the perspective either up or down (along a z-axis) of themodel in response to a user manipulating control 405. As anotherexample, the client station may reposition the orientation of theperspective (i.e., the “camera” angle) in response to a usermanipulating control 407. Other types of controls and inputs formanipulating the three-dimensional view of the BIM file are alsopossible.

BIM files may also include data describing other attributes of theindividual physical elements of the construction project that may or maynot be related to the element's specific position in three-space. By wayof example, this may include data describing what system or sub-systemthe component is associated with (e.g., structural, plumbing, HVAC,electrical, etc.), data describing what material or materials theindividual physical element is made of; what manufacturer the elementcomes from; where the element currently resides (e.g., data indicatingthat the element is on a truck for delivery to the construction site,and/or once delivered, data indicating where on the construction sitethe delivered element resides); and/or various identification numbersassigned to the element (e.g., a serial number, part number, modelnumber, tracking number, etc.), as well as others.

Together, these other attributes are generally referred to as metadata.BIM viewer software may utilize this metadata in various ways. Forinstance, some BIM viewer software may be configured to presentdifferent views based on selected metadata (e.g., displaying all meshesthat represent HVAC components but hiding all meshes that representplumbing components; and/or displaying meshes representing metalcomponents in a certain color and displaying meshes representing woodcomponents in another color, etc.). BIM viewers can display certainsubsets of the metadata based on user input. For example, a user mayprovide a user input to the BIM viewer software though a click or tap ona GUI portion displaying a given mesh, and in response, the BIM viewersoftware may cause a GUI to display some or all of the attributes of thephysical element represented by the given mesh. Other examples arepossible as well.

As mentioned, BIM viewer software is generally deployed on clientstations, such as client stations 112 of FIG. 1 (which, as describedabove, can generally take the form of a desktop computer, a laptop, atablet, or the like). As such, construction professionals can utilizeBIM viewer software during all phases of the construction project andcan access a BIM file for a particular construction project in an officesetting as well as on the construction site. Accordingly, BIM viewersoftware assists construction professionals with, among other things,the design and construction of the project and/or to identify issuesthat may arise during such construction.

BIM technology has advantages. For instance, as described, BIM viewerscan use BIM files in order to render three-dimensional views (such asthe view depicted in snapshot 400 in FIG. 4) of various elements of theconstruction project. This can help construction professionals identifypotential construction issues prior to encountering those issues duringconstruction as well as conceptualize what the finished building willlook like. For instance, the construction professional discussed abovewho wants to visualize a pipe/wall intersection may utilize a BIM fileto generate the snapshot 400. The snapshot 400 may show the first pipethat the construction professional is interested in, represented by mesh402, as well as the wall, represented by mesh 406.

However, existing BIM technology has certain limitations as well. Onelimitation is that three-dimensional BIM views may be cumbersome tonavigate about and may thus not present information as quickly orefficiently as a two-dimensional technical drawing. Further,three-dimensional BIM views generally require more computing resourcesto render and display than traditional two-dimensional technicaldrawings, which, as mentioned, can typically be presented in PDF form.Additionally, while three-dimensional BIM views may display variousmeshes positioned about the construction project, the three-dimensionalBIM view may not display precise measurements associated with each meshin relation to each other mesh, as doing so may tend to clutter andperhaps obscure the display of the overall project.

Moreover, a three-dimensional BIM file might not utilize a datum thatreferences the same type of universal coordinates discussed above andused by two-dimensional technical drawings. Rather, the BIM file mayutilize a virtual coordinate system that is project specific, and thatuses a point within the construction project as the origin point for thecoordinates of each mesh. For example, a building corner may serve asthe origin point for a virtual coordinate system, from which the variousconstruction elements within the BIM file can be located.

However, because the BIM file may not include a reference to theuniversal coordinate system used by the two-dimensional drawings, thegridlines 301 might not be readily inserted into the BIM file. Thus, theconstruction professional who generates the three-dimensional view shownin snapshot 400 might not have a convenient reference from which tomeasure the location of the pipe/wall intersection that would be usefulto the construction professional in the field. Thus, it would be usefulfor the BIM file to incorporate the gridlines information discussedabove in such a way that a BIM viewer operating on a client station candisplay both the gridlines 301 as well as dimensioning information thatis based on the gridlines 301.

IV. Example Operations

Disclosed herein is new software technology that is designed to helpremedy some of the aforementioned limitations. For instance, disclosedherein is a software tool that generates a two-dimensional view of agiven three-dimensional drawing file, where the two-dimensional viewincorporates gridlines and dimensioning information that is based on acoordinate system other than the coordinate system used by thethree-dimensional drawing file. In one aspect, the disclosed softwaretool may cause a computing device to obtain and convert gridlineinformation form a two-dimensional drawing file and provide the gridlineinformation and associated dimensioning information on a generatedtwo-dimensional view of the three-dimensional drawing file. In anotheraspect, the disclosed software tool may cause a computing device todynamically update dimensioning information based on a repositioning ofthe two-dimensional view by a user.

Example operations that may be carried out by one or more computingdevices running the disclosed software tool are discussed in furtherdetail below. For purposes of illustration only, these exampleoperations are described as being carried out by a computing device,such as computing device 200 of FIG. 2. As described above, thecomputing device 200 may serve as one or more of client stations 112and/or back-end platform 102 shown in FIG. 1. In this respect, it shouldbe understood that, depending on the implementation, the operationsdiscussed herein below may be carried out entirely by a single computingdevice, such as one or more of client stations 112 or by back-endplatform 102, or may be carried out by a combination of computingdevices, with some operations being carried out by back-end platform 102(such as computational processes and data-access operations) and otheroperations being carried out by one or more of client stations 112 (suchas display operations and operations that receive user inputs). However,other arrangements are possible as well.

To help describe some of these operations, flow diagrams may also bereferenced to describe combinations of operations that may be performedby a computing device. In some cases, a block in a flow diagram mayrepresent a module or portion of program code that includes instructionsthat are executable by a processor to implement specific logicalfunctions or steps in a process. The program code may be stored on anytype of computer-readable medium, such as non-transitory computerreadable media (e.g., data storage 204 shown in FIG. 2). In other cases,a block in a flow diagram may represent circuitry that is wired toperform specific logical functions or steps in a process. Moreover, theblocks shown in the flow diagrams may be rearranged into differentorders, combined into fewer blocks, separated into additional blocks,and/or removed, based upon the particular embodiment. Flow diagrams mayalso be modified to include additional blocks that represent otherfunctionality that is described expressly or implicitly elsewhereherein.

A. Generating Two-Dimensional Views with Gridline Information

As noted above, in one aspect, the disclosed software tool may cause acomputing device to carry out a process for obtaining and convertinggridline information form a two-dimensional drawing file and providingthe gridline information and associated dimensioning information on agenerated two-dimensional view of the three-dimensional drawing file.This process may take various forms.

With reference now to flow diagram 500 of FIG. 5, one example of aprocess carried out in accordance with the disclosed software tool forgenerating a two-dimensional view with gridline information isillustrated and described. In practice, this process may be commencedwhile the computing device is presenting a three-dimensional view via aGUI, such as the three-dimensional view shown in FIG. 4. In someimplementations, for instance, the computing device may receive anindication that a user has requested creation of a two-dimensional view,such as through the push of a button or the selection of a menu command.However, other ways to commence the process are possible as well.

Once the process is commenced, the process may generally involve thefollowing operations: (i) at block 502, the computing device may extractgridline information from a two-dimensional drawing file, (ii) at block504, the computing device determines, for the gridline information,first coordinate information that is based on a first datum, (iii) atblock 506, the computing device converts the first coordinateinformation into second coordinate information based on a second datumused by a three-dimensional drawing file, (iv) at block 508, thecomputing device receives a request to generate a two-dimensional viewof the three-dimensional drawing file including an intersection of twomeshes, (v) at block 510, the computing device generates thetwo-dimensional view, and (vi) at block 512, the computing device addsat least one gridline as well as dimensioning information involving theat least one gridline and at least one of the two meshes. Each of theseoperations will now be discussed in further detail.

At block 502, a computing device, such as the computing device 200 shownin FIG. 2, may extract gridline information from a two-dimensionaldrawing file. For example, the two-dimensional drawing file may be thedrawing 300 shown in FIG. 3, and the gridline information may correspondto the gridlines 301. In some implementations, the drawing 300 may existas a CAD drawing and the computing device 200 may extract the gridlineinformation from the CAD drawing. Other possibilities also exist.

At block 504, the computing device 200 may determine, for the gridlineinformation, first coordinate information that is based on a firstdatum. For instance, as discussed above, the first datum may include ahorizontal datum such as latitude and longitude, and the firstcoordinate information may include a set of points expressed in degrees,minutes, and seconds, or in decimal degrees, among other examples.Accordingly, this coordinate information may define the horizontalgridlines 301 shown in FIG. 3.

Further, because the gridlines 301 shown in FIG. 3 may be used for eachof the two-dimensional drawings corresponding to the constructionproject, e.g., two-dimensional drawings representing different floors ofthe building at different vertical elevations, the two-dimensionaldrawing 300 may also include vertical data corresponding to thegridlines 301. That is, although the gridlines 301 are depicted ashorizontal lines in the x- and y-direction of the drawing 300, each ofthese gridlines 301 may include corresponding gridline information thatdefines a plane that extends vertically, in the z-direction, through theconstruction project.

In some examples, the two-dimensional drawing 300 may include gridlineinformation defining a set of vertical gridlines at regular intervals,(e.g., every 12 feet), even though the vertical gridlines are not shownin the two-dimensional drawing 300. Thus, the computing device 200 mayextract this vertical gridline information in conjunction with thehorizontal gridline information. In some other implementations, thetwo-dimensional drawing 300 may include vertical elevation data that isbased on the first datum, but the two-dimensional drawing 300 might notdefine any vertical gridlines based on the first datum. In this case,the computing device 200 may determine the first coordinate informationfor the vertical gridlines that is based on the first datum.

Depending on the format of the gridline information in thetwo-dimensional drawing 300, the computing device 200 may perform steps502 and 504 substantially concurrently. For instance, the gridlineinformation may be expressed in the two-dimensional drawing 300 usingfirst coordinate information that is based on the first datum, and thusthe computing device 200 may extract the gridline information as such.For instance, the two-dimensional drawing 300 may include bothhorizontal and vertical gridline information expressed by a set of GPScoordinates having x-, y-, and z-components. In other examples, as notedabove where the two-dimensional drawing 300 does not include completegridline information defining vertical gridlines, the computing device200 may determine the first coordinate information for the verticalgridlines as noted above.

Extracting the gridline information as discussed above from atwo-dimensional drawing file for the construction project may provide aquick and accurate way to obtain the gridline information that coversthe metes and bounds of the construction project. However, because thegridline information in the two-dimensional drawing is based onuniversal coordinates, the gridline information might also be obtainedby the computing device 200 from a database or other mapping source. Forexample, a known reference point, such as a roadway intersection or aGPS point within the construction project, may be used as a basis todetermine first coordinate information in an area surrounding theconstruction project. The gridline information may then be determinedtherefrom.

At block 506, the computing device 200 converts the first coordinateinformation into second coordinate information that is based on a seconddatum. As noted previously, a three-dimensional drawing filecorresponding to the construction project may be based on a second datumthat is project specific, rather than the universal coordinatesdiscussed above. For example, each mesh representing a physicalcomponent in the three-dimensional view depicted in FIG. 4 may havecoordinates that are based on a project specific origin point, such as abuilding corner or other reference point. This origin point may beassigned coordinate values of (0, 0, 0) in the x-, y- and z-directions,for instance. Although this may simplify the layout and location ofphysical elements within the three-dimensional drawing, thesecoordinates might not be readily compatible with the universalcoordinates on which the gridline information is based.

Thus, in order to make the gridline information compatible with thethree-dimensional drawing, the computing device 200 may convert thefirst coordinate information into second coordinate information in anumber of ways. For instance, the computing device 200 may map the firstcoordinate information to the second coordinate information based on atransformation function.

In some implementations, the transformation function may bepredetermined. For example, the during the design phase of theconstruction project, the location of one or more building corners,including the reference point used as the origin for thethree-dimensional drawing, may be defined based on universal coordinatesusing the first coordinate system. This might be desirable, for example,to ensure that the building is properly located with respect to certainboundaries, such as property lines, setbacks, and/or floodplainelevations, which may themselves be derived from universal coordinates.

Based on this information, a function may be derived that allows anypoint in three-space that is defined based on the project-specific,second datum to be converted such that it is defined instead based onuniversal first datum, and vice versa. As one example, converting fromthe second datum to the first datum may involve adding the values(41.883 degrees, −87.623 degrees, 610 feet) to each set of (x, y, z)coordinates in three-space. Differences in latitude and longitudedegrees can further be converted into feet, for instance, using knownmethods.

Conversely, the computing device 200 may perform the reverse operationwhen converting coordinate information from the first datum to thesecond, such as the gridline information discussed herein. For example,the computing device 200 may store in memory a conversion table orsimilar data structure that contains, for the gridline information, thecorresponding first coordinate information and then the converted,second coordinate information. Other possibilities also exist.

In some implementations, the transformation function might not bepredetermined based on known references to the first datum. In thesescenarios, the first computing device 200 may derive the transformationfunction based on information within the two-dimensional andthree-dimensional drawings. For instance, in conjunction withdetermining the first coordinate information for the gridlineinformation, the computing device 200 may also determine firstcoordinate information for at least two reference points in thetwo-dimensional drawing file that have corresponding reference points inthe three-dimensional drawing file. The reference points may be, forexample, one or more building corners as discussed above, or anothersimilarly identifiable reference point that is represented in bothdrawings. In some cases, the computing device 200 may automaticallyselect the reference points. In other embodiments, the computing device200 might prompt a user to indicate one or more of the reference pointsin the two-dimensional drawing and their corresponding reference pointsin the three-dimensional drawing.

Once the first coordinate information for the reference points in thetwo-dimensional drawing file is determined, the computing device 200determines second coordinate information for the at least twocorresponding reference points in the three-dimensional drawing file.The computing device 200 may determine the transformation function basedon the first coordinate information and the second coordinateinformation.

In some implementations, the reference points may have associatedelevation data that is already expressed in terms of the first datum, asnoted above, requiring only a transformation function for the x- andy-coordinates between datums. Alternatively, the reference points mightnot have associated elevation information that is based on the firstdatum, but may nonetheless have relative elevation informationinherently associated with them. For example, where the two referencepoints are selected as two corners of a building, they might bothcorrespond to the same elevation representing the top of the building'sfoundation. Thus, they can be assumed to be in the same horizontal plane(i.e., they have the same z-coordinate value) for purposes of derivingthe transformation function. In some other implementations, a thirdreference point may be used to establish the transformation function inthe vertical as well as horizontal directions. Other examples alsoexist.

At block 508, the computing device 200 may receive a request to generatea two-dimensional view of the three-dimensional drawing file, where thetwo-dimensional view includes an intersection of two meshes within thethree-dimensional drawing file. For example, returning to the exampleshown in FIG. 4 and discussed above, a construction professional maywish to generate a two-dimensional view that shows the intersection ofthe first pipe 402 and the second pipe 404 with the wall 406.

The construction professional may initiate the request for the specifictwo-dimensional view in a number of different ways. For example, theconstruction professional may make a selection indicating a command togenerate a two-dimensional view, and then make a series of additionalselections specifying, for example, a first mesh (e.g., the wall 406)along which the two-dimensional view will be created, a second mesh(e.g., the first pipe 402) that intersects the first mesh, a boundary orsimilar area surrounding the intersection for which the constructionprofessional would like to view cross-sectional information, and so on.Additionally or alternatively, the construction professional maymanipulate the perspective of the three-dimensional view shown in FIG. 4using the one or more of the controls 403, 405, or 407 and then requestthat a two-dimensional view be generated based on the then-currentperspective shown in the snapshot 400. Other examples are also possible.

At block 510, the computing device 200 generates the two-dimensionalview of the three-dimensional drawing file.

FIG. 6A depicts one example of a two-dimensional view 600 of athree-dimensional drawing file, according to one possibleimplementation. The two-dimensional view shown in FIG. 6A may begenerated, for instance, from a three-dimensional drawing file similarto the one shown in FIG. 4. For example, the two-dimensional view 600may be a cross-sectional view taken through a given mesh in thethree-dimensional drawing file that represents a wall 606. Accordingly,several other meshes that intersect the wall 606 are shown astwo-dimensional shapes, such as a first pipe 602, a second pipe 604, afirst column 608, a second column 614, a first air duct 610, and asecond air duct 612.

At block 512, the computing device 200 may add to the generatedtwo-dimensional view 600 at least one gridline corresponding to thegridline information. For example, FIG. 6A also depicts gridlines 601 a,601 b, 601 c, and 601 d that correspond to the gridline information thatwas converted, as discussed above, so as to be compatible with thethree-dimensional drawing file. The computing device 200 may also, atblock 512, add to the generated two-dimensional view 600 dimensioninginformation involving the at least one gridline and at least one of thetwo intersecting meshes.

For example, the two-dimensional view 600 shown in FIG. 6A includes ahorizontal dimensioning reference bar 609 located across the top of theview 600, and a vertical dimensioning reference bar 611 located alongthe left side of the view 600. Within the reference bars are includeddimensions showing the distance between a given mesh and a gridline, aswell as between individual meshes. For example, dimensions 613 a, 613 b,613 c, and 613 d each indicate a horizontal distance between two of themeshes shown intersecting the wall 606. Dimension 613 e indicates ahorizontal distance between the pipe 604 and the gridline 601 b.Similarly, dimensions 613 f and 613 g, shown in the reference bar 611,indicate the vertical distances from the gridlines 601 c and 601 d tothe next nearest element in the two-dimensional view 600. As shown inFIG. 6A, both the horizontal reference bar 609 and the verticalreference bar 611 include additional tick marks corresponding to thelocations of other elements shown in the two-dimensional view 600.

In some implementations, the computing device may automaticallydetermine the dimensioning information to add to the two-dimensionalview 600 based on various factors, such as the next nearest element to agiven gridline or element, or the amount of space within the referencebar to legibly display the dimensioning information. However, in somesituations this automatic dimensioning may not provide the constructionprofessional with the specific information that is needed. For example,the construction professional may desire horizontal and verticaldimensioning information to locate the intersection of the pipe 602 withthe wall 606, which is not immediately evident from the view 600.

Accordingly, after generating the two-dimensional view 600 of thethree-dimensional drawing file, the computing device 200 may receive aninput selecting, within the two-dimensional view, the intersectionbetween the two meshes. For example, the construction professional mayselect the pipe 602 within the two-dimensional view 600.

FIG. 6B shows another example of the two-dimensional view 600 afterbeing updated by the computing device 200 in response to theconstruction professional's input selecting the pipe 602. The view 600now includes dimensions 615 a, 615 b, 615 c, and 615 d indicating therespective distances from the pipe 602 to each of the four gridlines.Further, all dimensioning information referencing the other elements inthe view 600 has been removed. After reviewing the information shown inFIG. 6B, the construction professional might select a different element,such as the air duct 610, and the dimensioning information may beupdated accordingly, removing the dimension related to the pipe 602 andinstead showing the distances from the air duct 610 to each of thegridlines. Other examples are also possible.

FIG. 7A shows another example of a two-dimensional view 700 that thecomputing device 200 may generate from a three-dimensional drawing file.Similar to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the view 700 may be a cross-sectional viewtaken through a wall 706. As above, several meshes in thethree-dimensional drawing may intersect the wall 706, including a firstpipe 702 and a second pipe 704, columns 708 and 714, and air ducts 710and 712. A horizontal dimensioning reference bar 709 is located acrossthe top of the view 700 and a vertical dimensioning reference bar 711located along the left side of the view 700. The reference bars containdimensioning information 713 a, 713 b, 713 c, 713 d, 713 f, and 713 g,which indicate distance between respective elements that are shown inthe view 700. Accompanying these dimensions are respective horizontaland vertical reference lines, which may facilitate the visualization ofthe distances between elements.

Unlike the example view 600 shown in FIG. 6A, the view 700 does notinclude gridline information, and therefore also does not includedimensioning information involving the gridlines. For example, it may bedesirable for the computing device 200 to avoid using the processing andstorage resources required to add the gridline information to a giventwo-dimensional view until the gridline information is specificallyrequested by a user. In fact, in some implementations, the computingdevice 200 might not undertake any of the steps discussed above relatedto obtaining the gridline information—including extracting the gridlineinformation from a two-dimensional drawing, determining the coordinateinformation, and converting it to a compatible datum, etc.—until atwo-dimensional view has already been generated and the computing device200 receives an input indicating that the gridline information should beadded to the two-dimensional view.

FIG. 7B shows the two-dimensional view 700 after being updated by thecomputing device 200 in response to the construction professional'sinput selecting the pipe 702. The gridlines 701 a, 701 b, 701 c, and 701d have been added. Further, and similar to FIG. 6B, dimensions 715 a,715 b, 715 c, and 715 d have been added to the view 700 indicating therespective distances from the pipe 702 to each of the four gridlines,replacing all of the dimensioning information related to the otherelements shown in view 700. Further, additional horizontal and verticalreference lines accompany the newly added dimensioning information,similar to FIG. 7A. As discussed above, the construction professionalmay select a different element shown in the view 700, which may causethe computing device 200 to update the displayed dimensioninginformation accordingly.

In the examples discussed above, the computing device 200 adds thegridline information and associated dimensioning information to thetwo-dimensional view after the two-dimensional view is generated, or atthe time it is generated. However, in some alternate examples, thegridline information might be inserted into the three-dimensional viewsuch that the gridlines are visible in the snapshot 400 shown in FIG. 4.Thus, the gridlines may be displayed in the three-dimensional viewbefore the computing device 200 receives a request to generate atwo-dimensional view therefrom, as discussed above. Numerous otherexamples are also possible.

B. Dynamic Display of Dimensioning Information

In another aspect, the disclosed software tool may cause a computingdevice to carry out a process for dynamically updating dimensioninginformation based on a repositioning of a two-dimensional view by auser. As mentioned above, the two-dimensional view generated by thecomputing device 200 according to the examples discussed herein mightnot have the space to legibly display all of the dimensioninginformation that the construction professional is interested in.Therefore, the computing device 200 may dynamically update thetwo-dimensional view and dimensioning information therein based oncertain inputs from the construction professional.

With reference now to flow diagram 800 of FIG. 8, one example of aprocess carried out in accordance with the disclosed software tool fordynamically displaying dimensioning information is illustrated anddescribed. In practice, this process may be commenced in connection withthe generation of a two-dimensional view according to the process andexamples discussed above. However, other ways to commence the processare possible as well.

Once the process is commenced, the process may generally involve thefollowing operations: (i) at block 802, the computing device generates atwo-dimensional view of a three-dimensional drawing file, (ii) at block804, the computing device may receive a user input to zoom in on a givenportion of the two-dimensional view, and (iii) at block 806, thecomputing device, in response to the user input, zooms in on the givenportion of the two-dimensional view and adds additional dimensioninginformation corresponding to one or more meshes displayed in the givenportion of the two-dimensional view. Each of these operations will nowbe discussed in further detail.

At block 802, the computing device 200 may generate a two-dimensionalview of a three-dimensional drawing file, as discussed generally above.For instance, FIG. 9A shows an example two-dimensional view 900 that maybe generated according to the examples discussed above. Similar to FIG.6A, the view 900 may be a cross-sectional view taken through a wall 906,showing the wall's intersection with a first pipe 902 and a second pipe904, among other elements of the construction project. Gridlines 901 a,901 b, 901 c and 901 d are also shown in the view 900. In some otherimplementations, as discussed above, the computing device 200 might notadd the gridline information to the two-dimensional view 900 unless aninput is received requesting this information.

Like in FIG. 6A, dimensions 913 a, 913 b, 913 c, 913 d, and 913 e areshown along a horizontal dimensioning reference bar 909 shown along thetop of the view 900. Dimensions 913 f and 913 g are shown along the leftside of the view 900 in a vertical dimensioning reference bar 911.However, the reference bar 909 also includes gaps 917 a, 917 b, and 917c between the tick marks corresponding to the first pipe 902 and thesecond pipe 904. Similar gaps are shown along the vertical reference bar911, corresponding to the various elements shown in the view 900. Thesegaps might otherwise display dimensioning information, but for the lackof space to legibly display the information. Yet, the constructionprofessional may be interested in these dimensions corresponding to thefirst pipe 902 and the second pipe 904.

Accordingly, the construction professional might provide an input tozoom in on a given portion of the two-dimensional view 900 in order toobtain more detail. For example, FIG. 9A shows a box 918 indicating agiven portion of the two-dimension that the construction professionalwould like to focus on. The input to zoom in on the given portion 918may be provided by any number of known methods, such as a pinch-to-zoomfunctionality enabled by a touchscreen display, a zoom window defined bymouse or other input device, among numerous other possibilities.

Thus, at block 804, the computing device 200 receives an input to zoomin on the given portion 918 of the two-dimensional view 900. At block806, in response to the input, the computing device 200 may update thetwo-dimensional view 900 to zoom in on the given portion 918 and addadditional dimensioning information to the given portion 918 of thetwo-dimensional view 900.

For example, FIG. 9B shows the updated view 900, now zoomed-in on thegiven portion 918. The computing device 200 had added additionaldimensions 919 a, 919 b, and 919 c to the reference bar 909,corresponding to the first pipe 902 and the second pipe 904, whereformerly gaps were present. Similarly, additional dimensions 919 d and919 e have been added to the vertical reference bar 911. Moreover, someof the initial dimensioning information shown in FIG. 9A but notincluded in the given portion 918, such as dimensions 913 a and 913 b,has been removed from the view 900. Likewise, comparing the verticalreference bar 911 between FIGS. 9A and 9B, it can be seen that some ofthe additional tick marks corresponding to other elements in thethree-dimensional drawing have been removed from the view 900 as well,where those elements no longer appear in the view 900.

In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 9B, dimensions that extendbeyond the edge of the view 900 after zooming in on the given portion918 may nonetheless continue to be displayed, even though one of the endpoints for the dimensioning information is no longer shown. For example,the dimension 913 e shown in FIG. 9A is still shown in FIG. 9B, eventhough the gridline 901 b that marks the end of the dimension is nolonger shown in the view 900. This may be desirable in some situationswhere a construction professional needs to continue zoom in on the view900 to obtain the dimensioning information needed, while stillmaintaining a dimensional reference to the next nearest reference pointthat was shown in the initial two-dimensional view 900, shown in FIG.9A.

Although the updated view 900 has been zoomed in on the given portion918 indicated by the construction professional, the view 900 may stillinclude some gaps where there is not enough space to legibly displayrelevant dimensioning information, as shown by the gaps 917 d and 917 ein the vertical reference bar 911. If these dimensions are needed, theconstruction professional may provide further input that causes thecomputing device 200 to continue zooming in on the view 900, untiladditional dimensions appear in place of the gaps 917 d and 917 e.

In this regard, the computing device 200 may facilitate the continuousreadjustment of the view 900 by the construction professional, withcorresponding updates to the view 900 and the dimensioning informationthat are also continuous, or substantially continuous. For example, theconstruction professional may utilize a pinch-to-zoom functionality on atouchscreen display, which may provide for progressive, substantiallysmooth updates to the zoom level of the view 900, both in and out,depending on how the construction professional moves his or her fingers.Accordingly, the computing device 200 may dynamically update thedimensioning information shown in the view 900 in a similarlyprogressive fashion, based on the changes in zoom level. This may allowa construction professional to zoom progressively on a given area untilthe desired dimensions appear along the horizontal reference bar 909, inplace of a gap. Thus, the construction professional may zoom in only asfar as necessary, while maintaining as much surrounding dimensioninginformation as possible.

Although the example above discusses a change in zoom level to thetwo-dimensional view 900, other updates to the view 900 are alsopossible. For example, the construction professional may provide inputsto pan the two-dimensional view 900 left, right, up, or down to viewadjacent areas. The computing device 200 may update the view 900accordingly, with corresponding updates to the dimensioning information,as discussed above. Further, the view 900 may be updated withoutrepositioning its perspective. For example, certain meshes withinthree-dimensional drawing, may be hidden or shown based on theconstruction professional's preference. For instance, the constructionprofessional may hide, or turn off, all elements related to HVACsub-systems, which might cause the computing device 200 to remove theair ducts from the views shown in the examples above. In response, thecomputing device 200 might also update the dimensioning informationshown in the views by removing any dimensions corresponding to the airducts. Numerous other examples are also possible.

V. Conclusion

Example embodiments of the disclosed innovations have been describedabove. Those skilled in the art will understand, however, that changesand modifications may be made to the embodiments described withoutdeparting from the true scope and spirit of the present invention, whichwill be defined by the claims.

Further, to the extent that examples described herein involve operationsperformed or initiated by actors, such as “users” or other entities,this is for purposes of example and explanation only. Claims should notbe construed as requiring action by such actors unless explicitlyrecited in claim language.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A computing system comprising: at least oneprocessor; a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and programinstructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium thatare executable by the at least one processor such that the computingsystem is configured to: extract gridline information from atwo-dimensional drawing file; generate a two-dimensional view of athree-dimensional drawing file, wherein the two-dimensional viewincludes (i) at least one intersection between two meshes, (ii) at leastone gridline corresponding to the extracted gridline information, and(iii) dimensioning information involving (a) the at least one gridlineand (b) at least one of the two meshes; receive a request to zoom in ona given portion of the two-dimensional view and thereby generate anupdated two-dimensional view; and based on the request, (i) generate theupdated two-dimensional view comprising the given portion and (ii) add,to the updated two-dimensional view, additional dimensioning informationcorresponding to one or more meshes displayed in the updatedtwo-dimensional view.
 2. The computing system of claim 1, furthercomprising program instructions stored on the non-transitorycomputer-readable medium that are executable by the at least oneprocessor such that the computing system is configured to: determine,for the extracted gridline information, first coordinate informationthat is based on a first datum; and convert the first coordinateinformation into second coordinate information that is based on a seconddatum, wherein the second coordinate information is used by thethree-dimensional drawing file.
 3. The computing system of claim 2,wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least oneprocessor such that the computing system is configured to convert thefirst coordinate information into the second coordinate informationcomprise program instructions that are executable by the at least oneprocessor such that the computing system is configured to map the firstcoordinate information to the second coordinate information based on atransformation function.
 4. The computing system of claim 3, furthercomprising program instructions stored on the non-transitorycomputer-readable medium that are executable by the at least oneprocessor such that the computing system is configured to: determinefirst coordinate information for at least two reference points in thetwo-dimensional drawing file, wherein the at least two reference pointshave corresponding reference points in the three-dimensional drawingfile; determine second coordinate information for the correspondingreference points in the three-dimensional drawing file; and determinethe transformation function based on the first coordinate informationand the second coordinate information.
 5. The computing system of claim1, wherein the dimensioning information involving (a) the at least onegridline and (b) the at least one of the two meshes is initialdimensioning information, and wherein the computing system furthercomprises program instructions stored on the non-transitorycomputer-readable medium that are executable by the at least oneprocessor such that the computing system is configured to: based on therequest, remove at least a portion of the initial dimensioninginformation from the updated two-dimensional view.
 6. The computingsystem of claim 1, wherein the dimensioning information involving (a)the at least one gridline and (b) the at least one of the two meshes isinitial dimensioning information, and wherein the computing systemfurther comprises program instructions stored on the non-transitorycomputer-readable medium that are executable by the at least oneprocessor such that the computing system is configured to: receive arequest to zoom out of the two-dimensional view and thereby generate asecond updated two-dimensional view; and based on the request, (i)generate the second updated two-dimensional view, (ii) remove, from thesecond updated two-dimensional view, at least a portion of the initialdimensioning information, and (iii) add, to the second updatedtwo-dimensional view, second additional dimensioning informationcorresponding to one or more meshes displayed in the second updatedtwo-dimensional view.
 7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium,wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned withprogram instructions that, when executed by at least one processor,cause a computing system to: extract gridline information from atwo-dimensional drawing file; generate a two-dimensional view of athree-dimensional drawing file, wherein the two-dimensional viewincludes (i) at least one intersection between two meshes, (ii) at leastone gridline corresponding to the extracted gridline information, and(iii) dimensioning information involving (a) the at least one gridlineand (b) at least one of the two meshes; receive a request to zoom in ona given portion of the two-dimensional view and thereby generate anupdated two-dimensional view; and based on the request, (i) generate theupdated two-dimensional view comprising the given portion and (ii) add,to the updated two-dimensional view, additional dimensioning informationcorresponding to one or more meshes displayed in the updatedtwo-dimensional view.
 8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 7, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is alsoprovisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at leastone processor, cause the computing system to: determine, for theextracted gridline information, first coordinate information that isbased on a first datum; and convert the first coordinate informationinto second coordinate information that is based on a second datum,wherein the second coordinate information is used by thethree-dimensional drawing file.
 9. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions that, when executedby at least one processor, cause the computing system to convert thefirst coordinate information into the second coordinate informationcomprise program instructions that, when executed by at least oneprocessor, cause the computing system to map the first coordinateinformation to the second coordinate information based on atransformation function.
 10. The non-transitory computer-readable mediumof claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is alsoprovisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at leastone processor, cause the computing system to: determine first coordinateinformation for at least two reference points in the two-dimensionaldrawing file, wherein the at least two reference points havecorresponding reference points in the three-dimensional drawing file;determine second coordinate information for the corresponding referencepoints in the three-dimensional drawing file; and determine thetransformation function based on the first coordinate information andthe second coordinate information.
 11. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the dimensioninginformation involving (a) the at least one gridline and (b) the at leastone of the two meshes is initial dimensioning information, and whereinthe computing system further comprises program instructions stored onthe non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by theat least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:based on the request, remove at least a portion of the initialdimensioning information from the updated two-dimensional view.
 12. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein thedimensioning information involving (a) the at least one gridline and (b)the at least one of the two meshes is initial dimensioning information,and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is alsoprovisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at leastone processor, cause the computing system to: receive a request to zoomout of the two-dimensional view and thereby generate a second updatedtwo-dimensional view; and based on the request: (i) generate the secondupdated two-dimensional view, (ii) remove, from the second updatedtwo-dimensional view, at least a portion of the initial dimensioninginformation, and (iii) add, to the second updated two-dimensional view,second additional dimensioning information corresponding to one or moremeshes displayed in the second updated two-dimensional view.
 13. Amethod carried out by a computing system, the method comprising:extracting gridline information from a two-dimensional drawing file;generating, by the computing system, a two-dimensional view of athree-dimensional drawing file, wherein the two-dimensional viewincludes (i) at least one intersection between two meshes, (ii) at leastone gridline corresponding to the extracted gridline information, and(iii) dimensioning information involving (a) the at least one gridlineand (b) at least one of the two meshes; receiving, by the computingsystem, a request to zoom in on a given portion of the two-dimensionalview and thereby generating an updated two-dimensional view; and basedon the request, (i) generating, by the computing system, the updatedtwo-dimensional view comprising the given portion and (ii) adding, bythe computing system to the updated two-dimensional view, additionaldimensioning information corresponding to one or more meshes displayedin the updated two-dimensional view.
 14. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising: determining, by the computing system, for the extractedgridline information, first coordinate information that is based on afirst datum; and converting, by the computing system, the firstcoordinate information into second coordinate information that is basedon a second datum, wherein the second coordinate information is used bythe three-dimensional drawing file.
 15. The method of claim 14, whereinconverting, by the computing system, the first coordinate informationinto the second coordinate information comprises mapping, by thecomputing system, the first coordinate information to the secondcoordinate information based on a transformation function.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising: determining, by the computingsystem, first coordinate information for at least two reference pointsin the two-dimensional drawing file, wherein the at least two referencepoints have corresponding reference points in the three-dimensionaldrawing file; determining, by the computing system, second coordinateinformation for the corresponding reference points in thethree-dimensional drawing file; and determining, by the computingsystem, the transformation function based on the first coordinateinformation and the second coordinate information.
 17. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the dimensioning information involving (a) the atleast one gridline and (b) the at least one of the two meshes is initialdimensioning information, the method further comprising: based on therequest, removing, by the computing system, at least a portion of theinitial dimensioning information from the updated two-dimensional view.18. The method of claim 13 wherein the dimensioning informationinvolving (a) the at least one gridline and (b) the at least one of thetwo meshes is initial dimensioning information, the method furthercomprising: receiving, by the computing system, a request to zoom out ofthe two-dimensional view and thereby generate a second updatedtwo-dimensional view; and based on the request: (i) generating, by thecomputing system, the second updated two-dimensional view, (ii)removing, by the computing system from the second updatedtwo-dimensional view, at least a portion of the initial dimensioninginformation, and (iii) adding, by the computing system to the secondupdated two-dimensional view, second additional dimensioning informationcorresponding to one or more meshes displayed in the second updatedtwo-dimensional view.